Learn how to make the perfect homemade sourdough waffles. Crispy on the outside, and nice and fluffy on the inside. This sourdough discard waffle recipe will become a family favorite.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

If you have been following along for awhile, you know how much I love my sourdough starter.

I made it over 8 years ago. Actually, I don’t even know exactly how long ago, but now it is a good, mature starter. We make so many things from it!

You definitely need a starter of your own. If you don’t have a sourdough starter, I’ll show you how to make one from scratch here.

Also, learn how to take care of a sourdough starter or find all of my favorite sourdough recipes here.

This recipe is a lot like my sourdough pancake recipe, just with a few, very slight tweaks. It is super delicious and our family loves it.

Cooking With Cast Iron

You all know how much I love cast iron cooking; it’s all we use in our house, so today I’m going to show you how to make these sourdough waffles in the cast iron waffle maker.

If you are new to cast iron cooking, make sure to check out How To Season Cast Iron And Cook With It Too.

You can definitely use a regular waffle maker, but this is what we use. Once you get used to cooking with cast iron, you may never turn back.

Another thing I love about the cast iron waffle maker is that seasoning makes it naturally non-stick, so you don’t have to worry about harmful non-stick coating that is commonly found on electric ones.

These sourdough waffles are perfectly crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside.

Serve them warm with with some blackberry syrup and butter (YUM), or for a more classic flavor, try some maple syrup and whipped cream.

Why we make sourdough recipes:

Fermented grains are healthier than non-fermented grains. This is because non-fermented grains contain phytic acid, which makes it more difficult for your body to digest and absorb the nutrients from grains.

The fermentation process, like when making sourdough, “pre-digests” the grains for you, breaking down the phytic acid, making the nutrients in the grain more bio-available to your body and easier to digest. 

Many people who cannot tolerate grains well find that they can tolerate sourdough starter if it has sat out on the counter and fermented for at least 24 hours.

FAQ:

Can you freeze homemade waffles?

Yes, these freeze great! Double or triple the batch, make extra, and then freeze the rest.

Lay them on a cookie sheet and freeze flat before placing them in a storage container so they don’t stick together. Or just place parchment paper between each one.

Can you use butter instead of oil?

Yes. Either butter or oil work well with this recipe. I love the crispiness that coconut oil gives, but butter would also give it delicious flavor.

Are sourdough waffles healthy?

Yes. They contain healthy fermented grains and whole food ingredients. They are a great way to keep tummies full and fuel the day.

What can I use discarded sourdough starter for?

There are so many things you can make with sourdough discard: waffles, pancakes, pizza, biscuits, muffins, and much more. Check out over 30 sourdough discard recipes.

Tips For Making Sourdough Waffles:

• Be sure to use a well-seasoned cast iron waffle maker, so that nothing sticks.
• When measuring out your ingredients, do the oil first, and then measure out the honey in that same tablespoon so the residual oil makes the honey slide out nicely.
• When using a cast iron waffle maker, be sure the iron is preheated on both sides and greased before placing waffle mix in it. 
• Don’t overfill it; it will spill over the sides. In my waffle maker, it takes about a cup of batter for one perfect waffle without spilling over.
• Don’t open it until is done. If it starts to stick in the middle, close it back up quickly and cook it a little longer.
• You don’t want to flip the waffle maker too often, otherwise you lose that crispy texture on the outside and nice fluffy texture in the inside. So only flip it once.

Tools you will need:

Waffle maker or I use this cast iron one

Measuring cups and spoons

Large to medium bowl

Mixing spoon or silicone spatula

Ingredients you will need:

Sourdough starter: This can be active starter or sourdough discard. If using discard make sure it is fresh and recently fed. One reason I love this recipe so much is that I can just wake up and make it without really planning ahead of time. It doesn’t need to be started the night before like more sourdough recipes.

Eggs: Preferably pasture raised, but any will do.

Oil: I used coconut oil (I like my waffles extra crispy, so I like to add the extra oil to give them that crispiness). You could also use melted butter.

Salt: Don’t skip this. Salt brings out so much flavor and sweetness in dishes.

Cinnamon: This is optional, but adds that delicious warm flavor.

Honey: I like to use unrefined sweeteners whenever possible. You could also substitute with maple syrup.

Vanilla: Yummy, warm delicious vanilla flavor. You can easily make your own vanilla extract at home.

Baking soda: make sure there are no clumps.

How To Make Sourdough Waffles

1. Preheat cast iron waffle maker.
2. In a large bowl, add 2 cups of fed sourdough starter, eggs, oil, salt, cinnamon, honey and vanilla. Mix well.
3. Add in baking soda and stir.
   • I like to add this at the end to make sure there are no clumps. Once you add this, your batter will get nice and fizzy.
4. Grease the waffle maker and add a bit of batter to it. Mine takes 1 cup of batter.
5. Cook it for 3-4 minutes on one side and flip. Cook for another 3-4 minutes on the other side.
6. Open it. If it is sticking at all or seems uncooked, cook for another minute or two and try again.
7. Serve with butter, maple syrup, and some fresh fruit.

Check out our other family favorite sourdough recipes:

• Sourdough Pizza | Mini Pizzas on Sourdough English Muffin
• Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread
• Easy Sourdough Flatbread
• Cinnamon Maple Sourdough Apple Pie
• How to Make Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars! Thank you! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.